Folding coop.



. R. L. CALDWELL.

FOLDING COOP.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 29, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

El noauto@ Til/.Cul a Wd l C i a COLUMBIA PLANDURAPN CO" WASIIINUTCN. D. C.

R. L. CALDWELL.

FOLDING COOP.

APIALIOATION FILED JAN. 29, 1913.

1,096,41 2. Patented May 12,1914.

z SHEETS-SHEET z. ZZ?

Glpi/Mwooeo 9 Rl/ C ale/well.

g5 MM l @House/13 coLUMnM PLANOQRAPN CC,.WA8HNOTON. D.:

ROBERT LEE CALDWELL, OF TRINITY, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO H. I. FRENCH, OF TRINITY, TEXAS.

FOLDING COOP.

Locatie,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 19114.

Application filed January 29, 1913. Serial No. 745,048.

T0 all 107mm 'it may concern Be it known that I, Ronn'r Lien CALD- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trinity, in the county of Trinity and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding (loops, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in folding poultry coops and the primary object of the invention is to provide a coop which may be quickly and readily knocked down and folded after the poultry have been been removed therefrom, whereby the same will require but a minimum amount of space.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coop in which the side and end walls thereof fold inwardly and a still further object resides in providing a top for the device which is designed to be effectively positioned upon the raising of the end walls of the device.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpen sive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient and useful :in operation.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device set up for operation. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal seetion through the device set up. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the same. Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section through the device in its folded position; Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the same in folded position; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged section through one of the hinge members showing the spring in connection therewith.

Tn describing my invention, l. shall refer to the drawings in-which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which l indicates the bottom of my improved coop having the vertically extending flanges 2 formed on the side edges thereof and the i flanges 3 formed on the ends of the same, the first mentioned flanges being slightly higher than the last mentioned flanges. This bottom 'l with the flanges thereon may be formed of wood er metal, as desired, and hingedly mounted on the side flanges 2 to fold inwardly on the device, are the side walls 4f. Hingcdly mounted on the bottom l adjacent the end flanges 3, to fold inwardly thereon, are the end walls 5, said latter walls being slightly lower than the side walls Il and both sets of walls are preferably formed of framework covered by a wire mesh or the like such as is usually used in connection with poultry coops.

A top 6 which is provided for the device and which is also composed of a framework covcred over with a wire mesh or the like has a pair of longitudinally alining slots 7 formed in the central rafter or beam of the frame-work thereof. These slots which have the inner ends thereof slightly spaced from one another. adjacent the center of the top continue to the ends of said top and secured on the under face of said top to extend across said slots adjacent the extreme outer ends thereof, are the transverse wires S which, for convenience, will be termed stop wires or bars. Mounted on the frame-work of the end walls 5, are upwardly extending wire members 9 which are bent laterally bevond the outer faces of said end walls and then bent upwardly and inwardly to form finger pieces or the like 10. These wires formed into finger pieces are so positioned on the end walls as to be rcceived in the slots 7 of said top and' when said end walls are drawn to their upright positions, these wires 9 will abut the stopwires 8 on the under faces of said top. Tn this latter position, the top will he positioned on the upper edges of the end walls and between the side walls 4l.

I have provided means to retain the device in its upright position and to this end, I provide a transverse bar or the like 11 which extends centrally across the upper face of the top and has the ends thereof formed into eyes 1Q. Portions of the side edges of the top (i are eut-away as shown at 13 to receive the eye members 12 and pivoted latch members lll are provided on thc upper ends of the side walls l1 adapted to engage said eyes and when these latch members are properly engaged with the eyes 1Q, the

top will be secured in its uppermost position and the complete device retained in its upright position. A door 15 is also formed in the top 6 of the device, whereby the poultry may be removed, when desired. The hinges securing the side and end walls to the flanges 2 and the bottoms respectively are provided with springs 16, as clearly shown in Fig. (i of the drawing, the normal tendency of which is to force said side and end walls upwardly into their upright positions, but in order to retain the parts of the device in collapse or folded position, I provide a catch member 17. This catch member comprises a T-shaped bar or the like, the shank portion of which is loosely mounted in the center rail of the top 6 and the head or cross portion thereof spaced slightly above said center rail, whereby when the side walls are folded over the end walls and top, said head portion will engage the free edges of said side walls to retain thc same in their lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 5 'of the drawing. Y

In practice, assuming that the device is in set up position, should it be desired to fold the same, after the poultry has been entirely removed therefrom, the operator first releases the latches 14C from their engagement with the eyes 12. The fingerpieces 10 are then moved inwardly toward one another, which operation swings the end walls inwardly and with such an operation, the top v6 is disposed downwardly so that when the end walls are resting on the bottom 1, said top is resting on the outer faces of said end walls. In this position, the finger pieces project upwardly through the slots 7 at the innermost ends of the latter. The side walls 11 are then folded inwardly upon the upper face of said top G, whereupon the latch member 17 is turned so that the head portion thereof contacts with the free ends of said side walls, to retain the latter and the other portions of the device in their folded positions. A most compact device is then provided and should it be desired to set up the same, the first operation is to turn the latch member 17 so that the head member thereof is disengaged from the folded side iwalls. Said side walls will then be forced to their upright positions, under tension of the springs in connection with the hinges thereof and as said side walls are raised, the springs in connection with the end walls will also force the latter to their upright positions and simultaneously force the top 6 to its proper position on the upper edges of the end walls. It may be necessary, however, for the operator to aid in positioning the end walls and top to their upright positions, as the weight of said top on the end walls may be too great for the springs on the hinges, of said end walls and, of course, such aid may be given by grasping vthe finger pieces 10 and drawing outwardly upon the same. The latch members 14 are then en' gaged with the eyes 12 and the complete device locked in its upright position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and -flicient means for carrying out the objects of the invention and while I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

While I have shown coil springs 16 in connection with the hinges of the device for disposing the side and end walls to their raised or upright positions, it will be understood that other forms of springs such as flat springs may be used, if desired, independent of said hinges.

It will also be noted that while I have shown pivoted latch members 14: kfor engagement with the eyes 12 whereby the parts of the device may be locked in upright position, other forms of latch members may be provided, if desired for accomplishing the same purpose.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim is :n

1. A folding coop of the class described comprising a bottom, vertically extending flanges onthe side and end edges thereo side walls hinged to the side flanges, Avend walls hinged to said bottom adjacent the end flanges thereon, said side and end walls being foldable inwardly, and said side walls adapted to fold over the end walls, a top therefor provided with a pair of longitudinally alining slots extending inwardly from the ends of the top to points adjacent the center thereof, projecting members vcarried on the upper edges of the end walls and eX- tending through the slots of said top, said members having the outer ends thereof bent outwardly and upwardly to form finger pieces, stop members carried on the ends of said top and projecting across the slots for engagement by said projections, said linger pieces projecting some distance beyond the end walls when the latter are disposed to their upright positions and the projections engaged with the stop members of the top, and means to lock said side walls to the top to secure the device in its folded position.

2. A folding coop of the class described comprising a bottom section, vertically extending flanges secured to the side and end edges thereof, side walls hinged to the side flanges, end walls hinged to said bottom adjacent the end flanges, said walls being foldable inwardly and the side walls adapted to be folded over the end wa1lsa top for the device adapted to r'est on the upper edges of the end Walls when the latter are in their` upright positions and also adapted to rest on the outer faces of said end walls when the latter are folded inwardly, means Connecting said top and end walls to operate the same simultaneously, and a T-member swiveled centrally of said top and adapted to be engaged with the free ends of said side walls when the latter are folded inwardly over said top to look the device in its folded l() position the head of said T-member being designed to form a handle.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflx my signature in the presence of two witnesses. ROBERT LEE CALDVELL. Witnesses C. M. WILKS, S. O. W'IRT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

